The proposed studies will determine the clinical significance of marijuana withdrawal among daily marijuana smokers in their usual living environments. Although marijuana withdrawal has been observed in non- humans and in human inpatient studies, the absence of generalizable has been observed in assessment of its clinical relevance as evidenced by the omission of Cannabis Withdrawal in DSM-IV. Three outpatient studies will determine (a) the physical, behavioral, and emotional symptoms that occur following the withdrawal syndrome; and (d) the initial efficacy of an agonist therapy for relieving such withdrawal. Study 1 will use a within-subject ABAB design (A: smoking-as-usual; B. marijuana-abstinence) to examine the clinical significance and reliability of symptoms that occur during the first 3 days of cessation from daily severity of marijuana withdrawal to symptoms experienced by psychiatric outpatients and to withdrawal observed in studies of other substances. Study 2 will examine the time-course of marijuana withdrawal. An incentive-based intervention will be used to engender a 45-day abstinence period in daily marijuana users. Interactive Voice Response technology will be used to obtain daily assessments of self-reported and observer- rated signs and symptoms of withdrawal. A comparison group of former daily marijuana smokers will be used to help interpret whether the post- cessation effects are true, time-limited withdrawal or simply offset effects. Study 3B will utilize a modified Latin Square design to examine the pharmacological specificity of marijuana withdrawal and provide initial information on a potential agonist therapy. Daily smokers will participate in three cessation conditions: high dose dronabinol (oral THC), low dose dronabinol, and placebo. This study will determine if delta9-THC can relieve the symptoms of withdrawal. The doses to be used in Study 3B will be determined in Study 3A, a preliminary, inpatient dose runup study. These studies will be the first outpatient studies to systematically describe and validate the specific signs and symptoms of marijuana withdrawal. This information will be vital to deciding whether marijuana withdrawal should be included in the DSM, should be a focus on treatment, and should be further studied to examine its role in marijuana relapse.
| Vandrey, Ryan; Smith, Michael T; McCann, Una D et al. (2011) Sleep disturbance and the effects of extended-release zolpidem during cannabis withdrawal. Drug Alcohol Depend 117:38-44 |
| Vandrey, Ryan; Haney, Margaret (2009) Pharmacotherapy for cannabis dependence: how close are we? CNS Drugs 23:543-53 |
| Budney, Alan J; Lile, Joshua A (2009) Moving beyond the cannabis controversy into the world of the cannabinoids. Int Rev Psychiatry 21:91-5 |
| Hughes, John R; Peters, Erica N; Callas, Peter W et al. (2008) Attempts to stop or reduce marijuana use in non-treatment seekers. Drug Alcohol Depend 97:180-4 |
| Budney, Alan J; Vandrey, Ryan G; Hughes, John R et al. (2008) Comparison of cannabis and tobacco withdrawal: severity and contribution to relapse. J Subst Abuse Treat 35:362-8 |
| Vandrey, R G; Budney, A J; Hughes, J R et al. (2008) A within-subject comparison of withdrawal symptoms during abstinence from cannabis, tobacco, and both substances. Drug Alcohol Depend 92:48-54 |
| Budney, Alan J; Roffman, Roger; Stephens, Robert S et al. (2007) Marijuana dependence and its treatment. Addict Sci Clin Pract 4:4-16 |
| Budney, Alan J; Vandrey, Ryan G; Hughes, John R et al. (2007) Oral delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol suppresses cannabis withdrawal symptoms. Drug Alcohol Depend 86:22-9 |
| Budney, Alan J (2006) Are specific dependence criteria necessary for different substances: how can research on cannabis inform this issue? Addiction 101 Suppl 1:125-33 |
| Budney, Alan J; Hughes, John R (2006) The cannabis withdrawal syndrome. Curr Opin Psychiatry 19:233-8 |
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